Matt Varga Steph Curry reintroduced the phrase “sneaker free agency” to a new generation, marking an all-too-rare moment when a surefire Hall of Famer was on the open market anew. To be sure, #30 made the most of that opportunity, providing audiences plenty of “what if” fodder as he laced up everything from the Travis Scott x Air Jordan 1 Low OG to Kyrie Irving’s ANTA KAI 3. Yet the real ones know that the Baby Faced Assassin was far from the first to toy with a similar concept. Now, a new auction is opening for Kobe Bryant’s Air Jordan 8, worn during his own period of sneaker free agency in 2002-03.
It truly is hard to imagine a basketball performance landscape without Nike’s Kobe signature shoes, but as #8 split from adidas, the possibilities were endless as to where he’d next take his talents and his footwear IP. Perhaps a bit less endless than what Curry had at his fingertips, yet still Bean spread the wealth across a more centralized landscape, giving Reebok, AND1, Converse, Nike, and the Jumpman some on-court shine as each brand vied for his services.
In a notable pitch move, Jordan Brand created a host of Laker-approved Air Jordan PEs for the then three-time champion. This particular pair is photo-matched to a March square-off between the Lakers and the Celtics, a notable matchup given their historical rivalry and one that’d gain a new chapter later in Bryant’s Los Angeles tenure. It features dual signatures across the midfoot straps and is presented by The Realest alongside a jersey from the same season. The pair is already up for auction and commanding bids as high as $700,000.
Catch the photo-matched shot and a range of detailed images of this Air Jordan 8 “Kobe Bryant” PE below. Hit the link HERE for more info on the auction overall if you’ve got six digits to burn.
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